2012 Victory Hard-Ball Review and Image

In spite of sharing a similar namesake with its High-Ball cousin, the new Hard-Ball is an amalgam of Victory’s Cross Roads ($16,000) and High-Ball ($13,500), so you might assume the Hard-Ball would seemingly share the Cross Roads’ MSRP. Yet the new Ball actually wears a Cross Country (with color-matched touring fairing with embedded stereo system) price tag, making the $3,000 price bump to $19,000 a ballsy asking price for a perceivable benefit only in style. It’s identical to the Cross Roads in every respect except for its ape-hanger handlebars, spoke wheels, wider front wheel (18 x 3.5 vs. 18 x 3.0) and heavier dry weight (758 lbs vs 745 lbs).

Unlike the nakedness of Victory’s other Balls, the new Hard-Ball is protected by highway bars, adorned with 21 gallons of hard saddlebag storage and sheathed in the blackest of matte-black paint. Victory classifies the Hard-Ball as a Tourer, and with the optional windscreen installed it’s a befitting description.

Powering the Hard-Ball is the 106 ci (1731 cc) Freedom V-Twin that produces an asphalt-ripping 97 horsepower and 109 ft. lbs. of torque. The motor features a single-overhead cam with four valves per cylinder and self-adjust cam chains with hydraulic lifters.

The 106 Freedom V-Twin breathes through modern Electronic Fuel Injection with dual, 45mm throttle bodies, and split dual exhaust with a crossover pipe for enhanced performance.

The Victory V-Twin is hooked to a 6-Speed overdrive transmission with "Neutral Selection Assist and helical-cut gears ensure every shift is as quiet and smooth as the one before."

The chassis design is similar to the High-Ball, but features a longer wheelbase (65.7 inches, up 0.9 inches), a higher seat (26.25 inches, up 1.25 inches) and more ground clearance (5.8 inches, up 1.1 inches).

Handling the suspension aspects of the 2012 Victory Hard-Ball is an inverted cartridge telescopic fork up front with a comfortable 5.1 inches of travel, and a single mono-tube air-adjustable setup out back that features 4.7 inches of travel.

Powered by the same 106 cu. in. Freedom V-Twin found in Victory’s other models and producing 77.5 rear wheel hp and 88.9 ft-lbs of torque (as measured in our 2011 Bagger Shootout), the Hard-Ball’s acceleration is brisk. Enough vibration is felt to ensure you’re riding a big Twin, and the rumble emanating from the dual mufflers is appropriately butch for an EPA-compliant exhaust.

Shifting the Hard-Ball’s six-speed gearbox is met with positive gear placements emphasized by loud clunks when rowing the lower cogs. Victory’s made inroads to bettering the transmission on its motorcycles, but there remains a sloppiness that needs to be addressed by Victory engineers. We were surprised not to find a heel/toe shifter as a stock component on the Hard-Ball, but as a $100 option in the Victory parts catalog.